Portable painting tent

ABSTRACT

A portable painting tent comprises a tall tripod frame with telescoping legs over which is draped a tent to control paint spray. Inside at the apex of the tripod, a swivel allows a standard house door, or other large items, to be hung from its top edge. A special bracket attaches to the top of the item, where it can be left unpainted, and the whole clips into a slot in the swivel. Both sides and edges of the item can be spray painted, and special handles are used to pick the wet item off the swivel and put it somewhere for drying. The whole tent can be folded up and carried away by collapsing the telescoping legs and folding them together in a tight bundle.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation application of patent applicationSer. No. 11/606,615.

FIELD OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

The present invention relates to painting tools, and in particular toportable paint spraying booths suitable for on-site painting of housedoors.

BACKGROUND

Painting can always be messy, and spray painting can especially betroublesome with its overspray that seems to get everywhere. Finishedhouses have floors, carpets, walls, furniture, and such that needprotection from paint spray if it's to be done inside. One way toprotect them is to bag or cover the collateral objects, the other way isto remove or enclose the paint spraying in a booth.

Aside from the problems of overspray, painting big items like doors isnot so easy. They are large, awkward, and sometimes very heavy. Allsides and edges need to be painted, and that leaves nowhere to grip orsupport the door until it's dry.

What is needed is a way to paint items on-site and easily, to controlany overspray, and to be able to pick up a wet item and to put itsomewhere else to dry.

SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

Briefly, a portable painting tent embodiment of the present inventioncomprises a frame with telescoping legs over which is draped a tent tocontrol paint spray. Inside at the apex of the frame, a swivel allows anitem-to-be-painted to be hung from its top edge. A special bracketattaches to the top of the item, where it can be left unpainted, and thewhole clips into a slot in the swivel. The sides and edges of the itemcan be spray painted. The whole tent can be folded up and carried awayby collapsing the telescoping legs and folding them together in a tightbundle.

The method of use includes the steps: erecting a portable tent with aswivel inside at the top center; hooking a house door onto said swivelsecured by a hanger bar coupled onto the top edge at the center wherethe door can be left unpainted; and spray painting the door within andturning it on said swivel to get to both sides and edges through anopening in said portable tent.

An advantage of the present invention is a painting tent is providedthat is effective and easy to use.

Another advantage of the present invention is a painting tent isprovided that is portable, easy to erect, and easy to fold-up and carryaway to the next job.

A further advantage of the present invention is a painting tent isprovided that allows all sides of a house door to be spray painted inone operation.

The above summary of the present invention is not intended to representeach disclosed embodiment, or every aspect, of the present invention.Other aspects and example embodiments are provided in the figures andthe detailed description that follow.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention may be more completely understood in considerationof the following detailed description of various embodiments of thepresent invention in connection with the accompanying drawings, inwhich:

FIG. 1 is a side view diagram of portable painting tent embodiment ofthe present invention ready to paint a house door hanging inside;

FIGS. 2A and 2B, respectively, are folded and unfolded views of the topof a tripod and a surrounding cover like that of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a perspective view diagram of a wet, painted door and handlesthat can be used to remove it from the portable painting tents shown inFIGS. 1, 2A, and 2B.

While the present invention is amenable to various modifications andalternative forms, specifics thereof have been shown by way of examplein the drawings and will be described in detail. It should beunderstood, however, that the intention is not to limit the presentinvention to the particular embodiments described. On the contrary, theintention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternativesfalling within the spirit and scope of the present invention as definedby the appended claims.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The invention includes a portable painting tent. In the exampleembodiment discussed herein, the painting tent includes a frame withtelescoping legs over which is draped a tent to control paint spray. Inpreferred embodiments, the frame includes three legs, but in otherembodiments more than three legs may be used. Inside at the apex of thetent, a swivel allows an item-to-be-painted to be hung from its topedge. In some embodiments, a special bracket attaches to the top of theitem, where it can be left unpainted, and the whole clips into a slot inthe swivel. The sides and edges of the item can be spray painted. Thewhole tent can be folded up and carried away by collapsing thetelescoping legs and folding them together in a tight bundle.

Turning now to the figures, FIG. 1 shows a portable painting tentembodiment of the present invention, and is referred to herein by thegeneral reference numeral 100. The painting tent 100 comprises a tripod102 with telescoping legs 104-106 and a swivel hook 108. In otherembodiments more than three legs may be used. An eye bolt 110 hooks upunder the swivel hanger 108. Such eye bolt 110 fits into a door hangerbar 111 attached to a house door 112 using wood screws 113. Other meansfor holding the item to be painted may be included.

Many kinds of items besides doors can also be painted inside tent 100. Ashroud or cover 114 drapes over tripod 102 and controls overspray whenspray painting, for example, door 112. Plastic sheeting is placed belowon the floor. The swivel hanger 108 and door hanger bracket 110 allowthe painter to get to the front, back, and sides of the door forspraying paint. Elbows 116 and 118, and a third one not shown in FIG. 1,allow the legs 104-106 to be folded up and tucked under arms 120 and 122for storage. A third arm is not shown in FIG. 1. The door 112 typicallyincludes a door knob hole 124, a lockset bore 125, and three reliefs126-128 for the hinge plates.

FIGS. 2A and 2B illustrate the folding and storage mechanisms ofpainting tent 100. A tripod 200 comprises a hub 202 and three arms204-206 for telescoping tripod legs, e.g., legs 104-106 (FIG. 1). Arm205 is fixed to hub 202 with a couple of fasteners. But arm 204 and 206can be rotated out against snap pins 208 and 210. FIG. 2A shows the arms204 and 206 folded for storage, and FIG. 2B shows them folded out foruse as in FIG. 1. In FIG. 2B, a cover 212 is represented as shrouding ⅔of the volume inside.

In a method embodiment of the present invention, a painting tent likethose of FIGS. 1, 2A, and 2B, is erected. This is done by rotating thethree legs 104-106 down until they hit a stop. A pin in elbows 116, 118,locks the legs 104-106 in position on horizontal arms 120, 122 (also204-206). Referring to FIGS. 2A and 2B, the arms 204 and 206 are rotatedout on the hub 202 until they lock against snap pins 208 and 210. Thetelescoping legs 104-106 are all then extended until they also snap intoposition. The cover 114, 212, is draped over the whole frame tripod 102,200, and secured with clips. A plastic sheet is typically placed on thefloor underneath the painting tent 100.

The embodiment disclosed herein is particularly suited for paintingdoors. When painting doors, the door 112 has typically been removed fromits hinges for painting. When the door 112, eye bolt 110, and hanger bar111 have been lifted off swivel hook 108 after painting, the whole canbe leaned up against a wall for drying without the paint on door 112coming into contact with the wall. After drying, the fasteners 113 andhanger bar 111 can be removed and used again on the next door to bepainted.

In the case where a house door is to be painted, the hanger bar 111 isscrewed with self-tapping screws 113 to the top edge of the door 112,e.g., at the center of the top edge of the door where it will balanceand hang straight. The door 112 and hanger 110 are then lifted so theycan be hooked into a slot on hanger swivel 108. The door 112 can then bespray-painted, and the swivel 108 allows it to be freely spun around.The cover 114 will catch under-spray, and a 120-degree front openingallows easy access. The top of the door where the hanger bracketattaches can be left unpainted as no one typically sees that area afterthe door is installed.

Any of a number of obvious ways can be devised to construct and attachswivel 108 and hanger bar 111. So the details are unimportant here.These items, however, must be strong enough to support the weight ofobjects to be painted, be reusable, and jointed appropriately to providea hooking action followed by a swivel action.

Very often a freshly painted door cannot be left hanging inside untilthe paint dries. It needs to be lifted off and moved someplace where itwill remain undisturbed, e.g., overnight in a dust-free, quiet area. Afrequent problem encountered is how to pick up a door when there iswet-paint on every grip location.

FIG. 3 illustrates a system 300 comprising a pair of grips 302 and 304for handling a typical door 306 with wet painted surfaces. The firstgrip 302 has a handle 308 for lifting and a large pin 310 that slipssnuggly into a door knob hole 312 or lockset bore 313 on the door 306.The second grip 304 also has a handle 314 for lifting and a plate 316with several sharp spikes 318-321 that spear into any of hinge plateareas 322-324.

While the present invention has been described with reference to severalparticular example embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognizethat many changes may be made thereto without departing from the spiritand scope of the present invention, which is set forth in the followingclaims.

1. A painting tent, comprising: a frame with at least with three legs,and enclosing a space large enough to hang an item for painting; a coverdraped over an outside of said frame providing for control of paintover-spray when painting an item hanging in said frame; a swivelattached at a center of said frame where the said legs converge, andproviding for a swivel joint on which a hanging item may be turned forpainting.
 2. The painting tent of claim 1, further comprising: a bracketfor attaching to a top of said item and including means for hooking ontosaid swivel.
 3. The painting tent of claim 1, further comprising: a hubfor accepting support provided by said legs and for supporting theswivel.
 4. The painting tent of claim 3, further comprising: a set ofhorizontal arms attached together at said hub and at each respectivedistal end to corresponding legs; wherein the overall height of saidframe is minimized while still being able to accommodate a house doorfor painting within.
 5. The painting tent of claim 4, further comprisinga set of elbows that respectively connect each of said legs to acorresponding horizontal arm, and that allow said frame tripod to befolded up for storage.
 6. The painting tent of claim 4, wherein saidframe includes exactly three legs, and wherein the hub allows two ofsaid three horizontal arms to be folded up against the third of saidthree horizontal arms, to the allow said frame to be folded up forstorage.
 7. The painting tent of claim 1, further comprising: a hangerbar that attaches to a top edge of a door to be painted, and thatsupports said doors weight while hanging from said swivel.
 8. A portablepainting tent comprising: a tripod frame with legs enclosing a volumelarge enough to hang and turn a standard house door within said tripod;a swivel attached at a center of said tripod where the said legsconverge, and providing for a swivel joint on which a hanging door maybe turned for painting; a hub for accepting support provided by saidlegs and for supporting said swivel; a set of horizontal arms eachattached at said hub and at a first end and to a corresponding leg at asecond end, whereby an overall height of said tripod is minimized whilestill accommodating doors for painting within; a set of elbows couplingsaid legs to said horizontal arms; a bracket for attaching to a top ofsaid door and including means for hooking onto said swivel; and a coverdraped over an outside of said tripod providing for control of paintover-spray when painting said door hanging inside said tripod; wherein,said legs include telescoping means, and wherein said tripod may befolded for storage in a minimal space and for carrying.
 9. The portablepainting tent of claim 8, further comprising: a first grip handle forinsertion into an empty door lockset bore after said door is paintedinside said painting tent; and a second grip handle for spearing hingeplate areas of said door with spikes also after said door is paintedinside said painting tent; wherein a freshly painted door can be liftedby both handles, without disturbing the wet painted surfaces, andun-hooked from said swivel to be placed elsewhere for drying.
 10. Amethod for painting, comprising: erecting a portable tent with a swivelinside at a top center; hooking a house door onto said swivel secured bya hanger bar coupled onto a top edge of said door; and spray paintingsaid door within said portable tent, and turning said door on saidswivel to paint all sides and edges through an opening in said portabletent.
 11. The method of claim 10, further comprising: lifting said doorwhile still wet with a first handle that plugs into an empty doorlockset bore and a second handle that has spikes to spear an empty hingeplate area; and placing said door elsewhere for drying.